By: Carl Papa Palmer

We watched birthdays of our grandsons in Nebraska this year,
watched from Washington those there singing Happy Birthday,
watched the boys blow out candles, watched them open gifts,
watched those there get hugs and kisses which we most missed.

Though, better than a faceless telephone call,
we’re tired of watching rather than being there,
tired of virtual visiting,
tired of staying home,
tired of masks,
tired of social distancing,
tired of this virus.

This is 2020 and we want more. We want a Christmas app.

We want this app to transport our grandsons over the river and
through the woods to our house this year for Christmas,
want their parents to come, too, want us all in a big group hug,
want our whole family saying grace together around the table.

We want to dig in to grandma’s traditional dinner on our plates,
want to hear forks and knifes clicking, want smiles and laughter,
want the boys here with us opening their presents like every year,
want even more hugs and kisses, but this Christmas, we can’t.

What we must do this Christmas is be thankful for our blessings,
blessings for what we have,
blessings our family is healthy,
blessings for what we don’t have,
blessings I don’t have COVID,
blessings you don’t have COVID.

But still, wouldn’t it be nice to have that Christmas app?